Gâteau au Coco

I love a chic little cake with just a touch of something extra to dress it up. Much like a simple monochromatic outfit, a little texture added in somewhere keeps a look from falling flat. With this cake, the toasted coconut flakes add an elegant accessory to an ultra sleek silhouette. Not only is this texture option an easy-to-add decor element but it adds a fun crunch and nuttier flavor profile. Okay, so enough about the aesthetics. Let's get down to the deliciousness that is this dreamy coconut cake recipe and why it's one of my favorites...

Coconut cake has been a beloved classic in the American South since the 1800s, making it one of our oldest iconic recipes. Despite its popularity, I grew up disliking anything coconut-flavored until I came across a coconut cupcake in New York later in life. It was light, fluffy...like a coconut cumulus. And that flavor? Sophisticated. Pure. Coconut. Euphoria. It easily became one of my favorite cupcakes and put me on the hunt for a cake recipe that came close to its texture and coconut-ty intensity. A few trial and errors later, I tried the "hot milk method," which is fail-proof (ideal for non-bakers like me) and yields a luscious crumb. Using this method, I created a cake very close to the one I used to stan in NY, making hot coconut milk the star! To dial up the flavor intensity, I used a Brazilian coconut liqueur I found at my local shop in Lisbon along with Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans. As the first recipe for my blog, I'm calling it "Gâteau au Coco". No pun intended really...unless you find it charming.

Fashion Reference: This gateau's beautiful cream color and ruffled coco flakes remind me of a few looks from the 2008 Sonia Rykiel show. Ruffles and layers are added to delicate sheer dresses to create an ethereal look. See below...

Sonia Rykiel Spring Summer 2008 Paris

To wrap this up, so you can get on to the recipe...not only is this cake delicious and easy to make, but it's also a stunner. With the perfect combination of sweetness, crunchy coconut, and vanilla flavor, this coconut cake recipe will be a favorite to entertain with or something you whip up for yourself just because. No special occasion needed of course.

Make it this weekend or on a mundane Monday to liven things up. Tell me what you think and if you have any questions, just ping me on IG!

Bon gâteau!

P.S.

I highly recommend serving this with vanilla gelato. And I mean the best, bougiest quality you can find! Coco-Vanilla decadence to the max...you're welcome.

Note: At the moment my oven is on the fritz and in the middle of being repaired. I checked my cake 15 minutes in and my oven thermometer was reading almost 450 degrees and rising! The inside of this cake set like a strange overcooked custard. Major flashbacks from that Food Network show I was on...check out episode 3 of The Julia Child Challenge.

If your oven is working normally, I am confident your cake will turn out perfectly fine. I've tested this recipe four times before the oven fiasco without any trouble. By the way, I highly recommend buying an oven thermometer if you have a sensitive oven.

Here's a photo from a previous test cake with a peek inside at the crumb...

Gâteau au Coco/Coconut Cake

Serves about 6, originally made with two 6-inch cake pans.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240g) AP Flour

• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 4 eggs, at room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups (397g) granulated sugar

• 1 1/3 cups ( 329.6 g) coconut Milk

• 1 Madagascar Vanilla Bean

• 1 Tbsp of cream based Coconut Liqueur (preferably Mangaroca Batida)

• 1 Stick of high-quality butter (113 g)

Coconut Frosting

• 3 Cups confectioners sugar

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/3 Cup of the hot coconut-vanilla milk mixture

• 1 Tbsp of lemon juice

• 1 Tsp of Vanilla extract

• 20 Tbsp softened Butter

Garnish

Toasted coconut flakes

Fresh or packaged coconut flakes

Directions

1. Preheat to 350°F and line two 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, butter and flour the pans.

2. In a medium bowl sift together all dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk, butter, and coconut liqueur to a light simmer or until the butter is completely melted. Set heat to low to keep it hot.

4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until thickened and a light golden color, about 5 minutes.

5. Either by whisk or mixer, mix dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate any leftover flour.

6. Slowly mix in hot milk-butter mixture into the batter until well combined, smooth, and the color is uniform.

7. Divide batter evenly into cake pans.

8. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges of the cake pull away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Remove the cakes from the oven and loosen them from the pans. Turn cakes out of the pans and onto a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.

Coconut Buttercream:

1. In a large bowl and with a hand mixer, cream butter until lighter in texture.

2. Then mix in 1 cup of the sugar, salt, and vanilla until it's uniform in texture.

3. While mixing, gradually add another cup of sugar and the coconut-vanilla milk mixture.

4. Add in lemon juice and gradually mix in the remaining amount of sugar until fully combined and spreadable. If the frosting is still too thick mix in a teaspoon or two of water to smooth it out.

To Finish:

1. Begin with the bottom layer on your preferred cake dish lined with 2-3 small sheets of parchment paper.

2. Frost the cake with a thin coat of buttercream to "trap the crumbs" (This is called a crumb coat) Before you add the top layer, sprinkle untoasted coconut flakes onto the bottom layer. If you have time after frosting, set it in the fridge until firm 15-20 minutes.

3. Frost another layer of buttercream and coat the bottom half of the cake with handfuls of coconut flakes. The parchment paper should catch any flakes that don't stick.

4. Slide out parchment paper and serve.

Extras:

* Frosting and cake layers can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.

* If you want to forego the buttercream completely, bake into one larger cake pan or a 9x5 loaf pan and serve cake slices with raspberries and whipped cream.